Everyone likes to look and feel gorgeous. The good news is you don't have to spend a lot of money to do it! This guide will tell you how to look your best for less.

Steps

Part 1

Drugstore Steals

1

Don't dismiss drugstore makeup as being cheap and low quality. Nowadays this is not the case. Search the drugstore for cult favorites that are tried and true. Each brand has a niche that they are good at filling, so try those brands first.

Look for a drugstore eyeshadow. Try Wet N' Wild's Color Icon Shadows. These come in trios, five pans, and even eight pan palettes. They are soft and well pigmented, meaning you only need a little bit of shadow to get a good color payoff. Other suggestions include E.L.F.'s baked eyeshadows, which give off a beautiful pigment when used with a wet brush. Looking for cream shadows? Try Maybelline's Color Tattoos, or E.L.F.s cream eyeshadow.

4

Find a good blush. These are easy to find at the drugstore too. Suggested blushes include Milani's Baked Blushes (Luminoso is a Fan Favorite) and Rose Blushes,Wet N' Wild's Color Icon blushes, NYC's Mosaic Color Wheels, and E.L.F.'s blushes, especially the studio blushes and for cream blush E.L.F.s Hd blush packs a punch of color which means you only need the tiniest amount to create a long lasting look.

5

Choose mascara in the drugstore. The options are broad, but start with L'Oreal and Maybelline. Try the popular Maybelline's Great Lash, and the Falsies Mascara, or the L'Oreal Telescopic and Butterfly mascaras. Jordana's Best Lash is another mascara to try.

6

Get bronzer for the summertime. Try NYC's Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny (Cult Favorite) or NYC's Color Mosaics for a matte bronzer, or for a shimmery one Milani has baked bronzers, as well as E.L.F.'s baked bronzers or their blush/bronzer Duos.

7

Get lip colors. Lip options are plentiful in the drugstore, and you can get anything from matte to glossy. For matte lips try NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, E.L.F.'s Matte Lip Color , or Maybelline's Color Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick both providing a range of matte colors.

For the typical lipstick, try Milani's Color Statement Lipsticks, or Revlon, their shade Black Cherry has been suggested as a color that works on any skin tone, or you can try Jordana's Twist and Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain for long wearing and moist colors.

For gloss lovers, try Jordana's Lip out Loud Glosses, which come in a range of colors and finishes as well as E.L.F.s Glossy Gloss, Hypershine Gloss, or Glitter Gloss.

Part 2

Save on High End Beauty

1

Check the sales sections both online and in-store at Sephora and Ulta. This will get you cheaper prices on various products.

2

Buy travel size items to try before committing to a full size full price product, or on items you do not use much. Ulta and Sephora have great travel items (usually near the registers), and MAC offers all travel size items for a small price (includes Pigments, Lipgloss, Fix+, etc). Brands like Benefit and Too Faced also sell smaller sized products to let you test before you invest.

3

Buy the holiday sets. While these may seem expensive, they usually contain loads of products which can allow you to get more for full size products for less.

4

Use sites like Groupon and HauteLook for upcoming sales on higher priced merchandise, as well as keeping tabs on the company's own site for special sales, such as anniversary or friends and family sales.

5

Compare before you buy. If you are interested in a product, before checking out check other stores for the same products, because the item you are buying at Ulta now just might be on sale at Sephora right now.

6

Try a dupe if you want the look but not the price. While dupes might not have the same longevity, they have the same look as the one you want. Do an online search for some dupes before buying. For example, E.L.F.'s Studio Blushes are dupes for Nars Blushes, or their HD blushes can substitute for Makeup Forever's HD Blushes.

7

Try the store brand. Stores like Sephora have their own in house brands that often work just as well. They offer the same colors and types of products as the higher end makeup lines they carry at more affordable prices.

8

Evaluate your routine. Invest in the things you use more and buy cheaper alternatives for things you don't.

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Tips

Read reviews on products before purchasing. This will help you avoid buying dud products, and can help you find what works for your skin and face type. Some suggestions are Makeupalley, and Makeup Addiction on Reddit, which give you real feedback from regular people who have purchased products and tried them out themselves.

If you order online, make sure to check coupon sites for any coupon codes you could use to save money. Make sure to sign up for Email notifications which can send you additional coupon codes and even inform you on any upcoming sales and markdowns. Joining rewards programs can benefit you with extra savings, free samples, or even free shipping. Sites like Ulta frequently offer up good savings on drugstore brands like NYX, Revlon, L'Oreal, etc.with discounts and even BOGO 50%, gifts with purchase, or even Buy 2 get 2 Free savings. Sephora always offers 3 free samples with every purchase as well.

When shopping in store, make sure to bring coupons (you can print them online), check weekly circulars for sales (available online and in-store), and get a rewards card to get special discounts and specials and even points you can use on later purchases. Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, and Duane Reade are stores with some great Rewards Systems. Ulta and Sephora offer up good savings for Rewards members as well including special yearly discounts ranging from 10-20% on Higher End makeup.

Read Drugstore Beauty Blogs for reviews and the latest sales updates. A great site for this is Nouveau Cheap, who updates her site with weekly drugstore deals, as well as some great ones on sites such as QVC and HSN.

Warnings

Read reviews before you buy. This way you can avoid any bad products or things that just don't work with your skin type.

Don't buy more expensive products just because they are more expensive. Price does not always equate with quality.

Be careful not to skimp too much. A dollar store lipstick may be a dollar, but it may have bad ingredients or not be long lasting.